"Beware the Ides of March," warned Spurrina, the Etruscan Haruspex, to Julius Caesar. A haruspex was a soothsayer—a seer—trained in predicting the future by studying the entrails of slaughtered animals. He believed that trouble might befall the leader on the Idus (the mid-point) of Martius (March). The year was 44 BC.
So, on that day, as Caesar was heading to the Theatre of Pompey (where the Senate was convening), he passed that very fortuneteller in the street. "Well, the Ides of March are come," said Julius. "Aye," the seer responded, "but they are not yet gone." It was at that Senate meeting, at the Theatre of Pompey, where a group of 60 conspirators, led by Brutus and Cassius, assassinated Julius Caesar.
Why did they kill Julius Caesar? The Senators killed Caesar because the Romans had a deep-seated hatred of kingship—and they feared that Caesar (although he was neither a king nor an emperor) was becoming increasingly powerful. He had recently been named Dictator Perpetuo ("authoritarian for life"). Rome recalled a bad history with previous authoritarian kings. The ideal of the Roman Republic was for the people (well, the elites) to rule the nation; total power imbued in one man was antithetical to the Roman ideal. And total power in a king was not good for the Senators.
There is no evidence that Caesar uttered these words before his death, though the exclamation, "E tu, Brute?" ("You, too, Brutus?") is a wonderful line from Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar.
All times come to an end. With Julius's death, his great nephew (and adopted son), Octavian (who changed his name to Augustus Caesar), inherited the throne. Augustus terminated the Roman Republic and crowned himself the first Emperor of the new Roman Empire. In some ways, Julius's power-grab set-the-stage for a future emperor. And, though Augustus was, indeed, an autocrat, his reign initiated a period of peace (The Pax Romana), a building spree in Rome, and an expansion of the Roman Empire abroad.
Shown above, an Italian cast pewter sandglass--made in Tuscany (not Rome). While it never measures quite the same amount of time twice, it is a handsome reminder that time is not infinite. Sooner or later, it runs out. Best to get done soon what needs to be done. Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome Italian sandglass.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.